Artiste Profile: Juwita Suwito

Four Forty Records Sdn Bhd
A-19-12, Prima Setapak,
Off Jalan Genting Klang,
53300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +6012 3811 440
Last Updated: 1 October 2008
Artiste Profile: Juwita Suwito
Juwita’s debut solo album, ‘Brand New World’ was awarded ‘Best Local English Album’ at the
prestigious AIM (Malaysian Music Industry) Awards in 2005. She was also nominated for ‘Best
Female Vocal Performance in an Album’ that same year, along with 2 nominations in different
categories.
Juwita's journey in the professional music
scene began in her late teens as backing
vocalist for leading Malaysian artistes at
gigs, mega concerts and prominent award
shows. She soon developed her versatility
and was often called upon to record song
demos for East Asian publishing houses. In
unexpected turns of events, some of these
demos were regionally released and caught
the attention of many a curious listener. One
example is her moving rendition of “Breathe
Again” published by Warner Music Taiwan
in the original soundtrack for Mandarin TV
drama series ‘The Outsiders’.
In July 2003, while representing Malaysia at the YWCA World Council & International Women’s
Summit in Brisbane, Australia, Juwita performed a song she wrote based on the theme, ‘Leading
Change’. It expressed her passion to encourage especially youth to use their unique God-given
capabilities to make a difference in society. This received an enthusiastic response from the
audience of approximately 1,000 women from over 100 countries.
In 2004, Juwita was entrusted with the task of coaching the finalists of the inaugural 'Malaysian
Idol', which she did for two consecutive seasons. In recent years, Juwita guest coached on reality
shows 'One in a Million' and 'Mentor', and was also enlisted on the LG MyStarz mentoring team
consisting of Malaysia's top musicians.
Since the release of her debut solo album, Juwita has performed at numerous events and
concerts throughout Malaysia and its neighbouring countries. In November 2005, she had her
first Australian Mini Tour when she performed and presented an 'Angel' award at the National
Gospel Music Awards in Canberra. Her second Australian Mini Tour in July 2006 was with the
first Malaysian Idol Jaclyn Victor. Together they performed in Adelaide, Melbourne and at the
Mt.Buller Ski Resort. Upon her return she was commissioned to record “One Golden Celebration”,
theme song for Visit Malaysia 2007 commemorating the country's 50 Years of Nationhood.
Four Forty Records Sdn Bhd
A-19-12, Prima Setapak,
Off Jalan Genting Klang,
53300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +6012 3811 440
Last Updated: 1 October 2008
In May 2007, she took the stage with fellow label-mate Liang at the Esplanade Theatres on the
Bay in Singapore where she received awesome responses from the crowd. In July 2007, she
performed once again at the International Women's Summit, this time held in Nairobi, Kenya.
'For Real' – the sophomore album
Juwita's long awaited sophomore album, ‘For Real’ highlights her
soulful vocals with edgier, acoustic pop flavours. The album was
announced as one of the five nominees in the 'Best Local English
Album' category for AIM 2007 while “Teman Sejati” was nominated for
the category 'Best Music Arrangement in a Song'.
'For Real' includes songs written by Juwita, "Beautiful Lies" from the
Original Soundtrack of the movie ‘Gol & Gincu’, the classic "Desperado"
made popular by The Eagles as well as “Mayday!” featuring Malaysia's
leading rock artiste and DC Comics brand ambassador Faizal Tahir.
The album made its presence felt on Malaysian radio with pop rock single “Walk Away” getting
massive airplay on Fly FM. It also made it to Hitz FM's Malaysian English Top 10 chart.
Meanwhile, “Destiny's Calling” and “Teman Sejati” made heavy rotation on Lite FM and Hot FM
respectively. “All This Time” rode high on Nokia's Independent Artists Club's pop chart and made
the A-list rotation on Filipino radio stations Magic 89.9 and Nu107 FM. Its music video was also
aired on local television as well as Channel [V] and MTV Asia. These songs accentuate the
realities of life as viewed by a young adult in a soulful yet fresh and contemporary urban style.
The Live EP – a special project for the fans
Known as an artiste that thrives on a down-to-earth relationship with
her listeners, it is no wonder that Juwita's latest offering was produced
in response to fan requests. Released in May 2008, 'Take Five with
Juwita Suwito at Avanti' captures the ambience and energy of her
bistro-style performances. It has five tracks, three of which are new
arrangements of Juwita's previously released songs. It also features
David Gates' classic number “The Guitar Man” and the earliermentioned “Breathe Again”.
This special project for the fans will be available at all of Juwita's gigs
as well as on CD Baby and iTunes.
As a vocalist and songwriter, Juwita continues to make headway in the global arena. Music Aid
announced Juwita as country winner of the 2007 International Music Awards in the Best Female
Solo Artist category; Indonesian editions of her albums have just been released in partnership
with Insight Unlimited Indonesia; and August 2008 saw yet another successful Australian Tour.
Juwita has just released her latest single “Sejak Hadirmu” and will soon be working on her third
studio album.
For more on Juwita visit www.juwitasuwito.com or email [email protected].